I'm an Unknown Actress, But Everyone Knows Me

‘Ah... this really feels like a dream....’

Who am I? Han Yeoreum—the one who swept the year-end awards again this year. I habitually reached to stroke the trophy in my arms—

“Wait. My trophy!”

...I was about to—but it wasn’t there? I was holding it right until I fell asleep. Where did it go? I jolted upright.

“...Huh?”

But where is this? I looked around at the pitch-black surroundings. I couldn’t see anything in the darkness. I reached out, feeling around for my phone.

Clunk.

“Clunk?”

Is that even a sound you’d hear in a room? Come to think of it, this isn’t a bed either. I focused on the sensation beneath my palm. Cold, hard stone.

“What is this...? Where’s my phone?”

That was when the floor started moving on its own.

Rattle. Rattle. Rattle....

“Kyaaa!”

What is this, what is this?! As the rattling noise continued, the air turned golden. Light began seeping through the cracks in the stone floor.

I spun around, taking in my surroundings. Baby angel statues, crosses, even stained glass windows that looked sacred.

“Where am I?”

I jumped to my feet. It seemed like I was standing on an altar. Right in the center—at the highest point.

“This is... a temple?”

As if confirming my words, the light rising from the floor grew even brighter. I was trying to process the situation when—

Flash.

A brilliant glimmer shone above my head. I turned around, and there—

“My trophy!”

That’s the one I was holding when I fell asleep. Why is it up there? Instinctively, I tried to climb up by stepping on anything I could reach.

“Why is it on top of a chandelier?!”

Just a little more, just a little more....

“Got—!”

Right as my fingers were about to touch the edge of the trophy—

Bang!

“There!”

A loud explosion-like noise came from behind me.

“Intruder!”

Excuse me? Me?

“Surround her.”

When I came to my senses, dozens of gleaming silver swords were pointed straight at me.

“What is this?!”

“Step down from there immediately. I’ll give you three seconds.”

I blinked a couple of times.

“Junseo?”

No, wait—what is going on? Standing before me was Joo Junseo, dressed in silver armor with a black cloak. Even the epaulettes on his right shoulder were shining. And why is his hair red again like during 〈ParCheHi〉?

‘What kind of romance-fantasy cosplay is this?’

No. Is this some kind of hidden camera prank prepared by the network? Did PD Gam Dajeong plan a new show?

“Junseo, what are you doing here? You seriously scared me. But honestly, the outfit suits you. Perfect hanger—five thousand stars.”

Joo Junseo strode toward me with wide steps. The tip of the sword in his hand remained pointed—

No, wait, why isn’t he lowering that?!

“Senior, put the sword down... wait, is that a real blade? It’s not, right?”

“Stop talking.”

Joo Junseo aimed the sharp tip of the sword at my neck. The cold metal sent chills down my spine. Is the broadcasting station allowed to use real weapons?

“State your identity.”

“No, can we just put this away for a second—”

“Answer the question.”

Joo Junseo stared at me without blinking. It was a colder gaze than even when I first met him.

Where is this situation even going?

“I’ll ask again. State your identity.”

“....”

“And who ordered you to target the sacred object.”

“No, sacred object? What?”

At my reflexive question, Joo Junseo’s gaze shifted upward.

“That’s mine.”

It’s my trophy. Who would order me to target it?

“Ha... so that’s how you’re going to play this.”

Joo Junseo didn’t lower the sword at my throat and instead tilted his head slightly. Several knights who had been ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) surrounding me rushed forward all at once.

“Throw her in the underground dungeon.”

* * *

“Waaaah—.”

I grabbed the iron bars with both hands and cried. Why is the floor so cold? I’m even barefoot in my pajamas. Is this what poor circulation feels like?

Even in this situation, I calmly analyzed things.

‘This isn’t a hidden camera prank....’

If it were this extreme, there’d be backlash after airing.

INTUBE

[Dropped into a romance-fantasy world? Han Yeoreum’s tearful explanation after meeting Knight Commander Joo Junseo] 11:45

112,335 views

— Should report this to the human rights committee. Are they seriously making someone walk barefoot on stone floors without even socks?

— Yeoreum TT_TT you don’t have to do shows like this...

— 222 seriously, just wasting her image and making her suffer LOLOL

— I usually hate actors acting arrogant even on variety shows, but this crosses a line. She’s not even a professional entertainer—can they really make her go through this? This is uncomfortable to watch

— Our baby melon bread!!!!

“What kind of dream is this?”

The realism was way too vivid. I gripped the bars tightly and shook them. They only rattled but didn’t budge at all.

“Guess I just have to wait until I wake up....”

Once I wake up, I’m calling Joo Junseo immediately. Even if it’s a dream, I need to ask how he could do something like this. This is at least worth three coffee truck coupons.

Grrrrowl.

And now I’m hungry too... even in a dream....

I considered banging my head against the wall to wake myself up.

Clank.

That was when I heard the prison door opening.

“Prisoner? Prisoner?”

“I’m not a prisoner!”

“You’re all the way in the back.”

The smell of warm bread filled the air. I looked at the person approaching the bars.

“Seo Eden?”

“You know my name? But I’m just Eden.”

“Is that part of the setting...? Then what about Junseo?”

“If you mean the commander, that would be Jun Cedric Valentian.”

“Wow. That’s a cool name.”

Seo Eden brought a rough wooden bowl filled with cream soup and a bread roll.

“Well, this is kind of commemorative, so eat first.”

Commemorative, my foot. But I was hungry, so I accepted it anyway.

“But I’m really not a prisoner. Could I at least get a one-on-one meeting with that Jun... anyway, the commander? I need some time to talk. At this rate, I’ll wake up with my face frozen. An actor’s voice is everything.”

Squatting across from me, Seo Eden nodded.

“I see. If you meet the commander, are you planning to use a beauty trap? Like fainting in front of him, then falling into his arms when he lifts you up, shedding a few tears....”

“I’m not doing that. And what exactly have you been reading?”

“Or maybe a tearful confession—that you did all this to protect him? That it was a plot by back-alley thugs trying to frame the knight commander, and even though you could’ve succeeded, you deliberately got caught for his sake....”

Seo Eden kept listing examples without stopping. I’d heard idols spend all their downtime glued to their phones, but—

‘This version of Seo Eden doesn’t even have a phone. What is he reading?’

Wait. Looking closely, there was a small booklet tucked into his clothes....

[Even Though I’m a Villainess, I’ll Protect the Knight a Thousand Times Through Regression]

“Or maybe... this isn’t your first time meeting him?”

I think I get what he’s been reading.

“Since you know my name, have you perhaps harbored feelings for me as well? I know it’s wrong, but after countless regressions, when Jun Cedric Valentian failed to understand my heart, I, Eden—”

“I finished eating. Can I get more bread?”

“I kind of stole that from the kitchen, so refills are a bit difficult.”

If I couldn’t get bread, maybe I should beg for the cloak Seo Eden was wearing. I quietly placed my cold feet onto the edge of his cloak spread across the floor.

“Our castle is known for having extremely tight security, so it’s rare to see intruders like you... it’s really fascinating. Considering the commander’s personality, the fact that you weren’t executed on the spot and are just being held here.”

“Exe-cu-tion?”

“Yes. I think this might be roma—”

“What are you talking about? What about human rights? You can’t just arrest someone without evidence.”

“What do you mean, no evidence?”

Seo Eden looked at me like I was the one saying something ridiculous.

“You were caught at the scene, weren’t you? Being caught in the act is evidence itself. And this is the North. The Grand Duke’s judgment is the first law. And the knight commander, who was granted his position by the Grand Duke, also has the authority to carry out immediate executions.”

“No wonder it’s freezing. So this is the North?”

Immediate execution... That must be the master key to waking up. In dreams, when you’re in danger, you wake up right away...

“Ow.”

A sharp pain shot through my pinky toe, snapping me back. My nail had split, and blood was dripping.

‘...Why does it hurt?’

Even though it’s a dream, every sensation feels vivid. Just like real life.

‘Wait. If this isn’t a dream?’

Thinking about it, I already regressed once. There’s no reason I couldn’t fall into a romance-fantasy world too. I looked at Seo Eden, who was still rambling on.

‘If this is real, I’ll just get executed and that’s it!’

Alright. First, escape.

‘Who am I?’

The actress who became the nation’s first love through acting alone, who swept not only all three major networks but even film festivals, who turned every single scene she appeared in into a legendary moment—beyond just rising, now the trend itself.

Han Yeoreum.

Shall I start acting?